RECOVERY PLAN HEALTHY

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) argues that Canada's post-COVID-19 economic recovery should prioritize decarbonization to protect human health and ensure economic stability. The report outlines a path to net-zero emissions by 2050, projecting that meeting climate targets would save approximately 112,000 lives between 2030 and 2050 due to air quality improvements and increase clean jobs from 210,000 in 2020 to 1.5 million by 2050. Key recommendations include legislating a net-zero 2050 target, decarbonizing electricity and transit by 2040, and transitioning buildings and healthcare to net-zero by 2050. The report also emphasizes the health risks of fossil fuel investments, the need for a just transition for workers, and the importance of nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and mental health.

• Meeting Canada's 2030 and 2050 climate targets is projected to save an estimated 112,081 lives between 2030 and 2050 specifically through improvements in air quality.
• A transition to a net-zero emissions scenario by 2050 is estimated to increase the number of clean jobs in Canada from 210,000 full-time equivalent positions in 2020 to 1.5 million by 2050.
• Canada is currently not on track to meet its Paris Agreement commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, with projections suggesting a shortfall of 162 megatonnes of GHGs.
• Air pollution in Canada is linked to significant premature mortality, with Health Canada estimating 14,600 premature deaths in 2019 and another study suggesting 20,089 deaths in 2015, of which 17,574 were attributable to fossil-fuel-related sources.
• The report identifies specific regional health risks from climate change: Northern Canada faces threats to food security and infrastructure from melting permafrost; Atlantic Canada faces increased hurricane activity and coastal erosion; Québec and Ontario face heat-related illness and expanding ranges of vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease; the Prairies are susceptible to drought and wildfires; and British Columbia faces devastating forest fires and toxic algal blooms.
• The healthcare sector is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases, with Canada having the third-highest per-capita GHG emissions from healthcare globally, accounting for 4.6% of the country's total emissions.
• Investment in a national zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate, targeting 100% of light-duty vehicles by 2030, could contribute to $152 billion in Canadian GDP and employ 1.1 million workers by 2040.
• The report argues that fossil fuel investments pose a financial risk due to the 'carbon bubble,' where reserves may become stranded assets as the world transitions to net-zero emissions.
• Nature-based solutions, including increasing urban tree cover and restoring ecosystems, are recommended to reduce GHG emissions and improve public health by mitigating the urban heat island effect and reducing stress.

APA

Edger, R., Howard, C., Lem, M., Zigby, J., Pétrin-Desrosiers, C., Doyle, H. M., Kitching, G. T., Luo, O. D., Cohen, A., Wu, K., Carson, J. J. K., Létourneau, S. G., & Kuhl, J. (2020). RECOVERY PLAN HEALTHY. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CAPE_Report2020_EN_HealthyRecoveryPlan-1.pdf

Chicago

Edger, Robin, Courtney Howard, Melissa Lem, Jean Zigby, Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers, Helen Marie Doyle, George Tjensvoll Kitching, et al. RECOVERY PLAN HEALTHY. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2020. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CAPE_Report2020_EN_HealthyRecoveryPlan-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{edger2020recovery, author = {Edger, Robin and Howard, Courtney and Lem, Melissa and Zigby, Jean and Pétrin-Desrosiers, Claudel and Doyle, Helen Marie and Kitching, George Tjensvoll and Luo, Owen Dan and Cohen, Arianne and Wu, Kelan and Carson, Jacob Joel Kirsh and Létourneau, Sasha G. and Kuhl, Jennifer}, title = {{RECOVERY PLAN HEALTHY}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2020}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CAPE_Report2020_EN_HealthyRecoveryPlan-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }